The present invention relates to low-fat or fat-free substances which can be used as replacements for fat (i.e., fat substitutes or fat extenders), both per se as well as in the preparation of food products. Specifically, the present invention relates to gel systems which have been size reduced to mimic fat. The gel systems are based on gels which are produced from undenatured whole milk protein and carrageenan. These gels are broken and sized by shear to produce particles which are under two microns in size. Particles of this size are described as having a "fatty mouth feel" which means that the particles have a fat-like organoleptic character. The gel systems of the present invention may be used to replace some or all of the fats which are normally present in a variety of food products. The present invention also relates to processes for producing the fat substitutes and to food products containing the fat substitutes.
The reduction of fat consumption is an important dietary goal for most people. However, it is difficult to remove fat from many foods without reducing or eliminating the pleasurable "fatty mouth feel" associated with foods that contain fat. Accordingly, until recently, attempts to replace the fat in many foods with other substances, such as fibrous materials, has met with limited success because the replacement substances compromised the organoleptic character of the foods. Moreover, some of the fat replacement substances, such as sucrose polyesters, can cause distressing intestinal conditions and are therefore limited in their usefulness.
Recent efforts to create fat substitutes have been more successful. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,287 to Singer et al. discloses non-aggregated particles of denatured whey protein that have a substantially smooth emulsion-like organoleptic character and are used as a fat/cream substitute. The particles have a mean diameter particle size distribution in a dried state ranging from about 0.1 microns to about 2.0 microns, with less than about 2 percent of the total number of particles exceeding 3.0 microns in diameter. The fat substitutes disclosed by Singer et al. cannot be used in prolonged high temperature applications, i.e., frying, broiling, baking, because the whey protein particles will massively agglomerate thereby losing the emulsion-like character.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,946 to Singer et al. discloses a fat substitute which comprises water-dispersible macro-colloid particles having a substantially spheroidal shape and a particle size distribution effective to impart the substantially smooth organoleptic character of an oil-and-water emulsion. The particles are composed of carbohydrate material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,953 to Singer et al. discloses proteinaceous, water-dispersible macrocolloids which in a hydrated state have a substantially smooth, emulsion-like, organoleptic character. The macrocolloids may be produced from a variety of substantially soluble undenatured protein starting materials by controlled heat denaturation under high shear conditions.
In addition to the above patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,855,156; 4,985,270; 5,096,730; 5,096,731; 5,098,728; 5,102,681; 5,139,811; and 5,153,020 all in the names of Singer et al., disclose various food products containing fat substitutes and methods of producing such food products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,023,104 to Battista discloses reduced calorie food compositions comprising a food material and, as a no-nutritive agent, cellulose crystallite aggregates, the latter comprising a product of the acid hydrolysis of cellulose. The aggregates are disclosed as having a particle size of from less than 1 to about 250 or 300 microns. It is also disclosed in Battista that in some cases it is desirable to incorporate with the crystallite aggregates a small amount of a protective colloid to vary the texture or mouth feel of the resulting mix or food product. Carrageenan is disclosed as an example of such a colloid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,741 to Podolski et al. discloses a fat substitute which can be employed in food products. The fat substitute consists essentially of substantially non-aggregated casein micelles and can be used to replace all or a portion of the fat or cream in food products having a pH greater than about 5.6. The pH limitation is necessary because in food products having a pH under about 5.6 the casein micelles will aggregate to form cheese.
All of the aforementioned patents are expressly incorporated herein and made a part of the present patent application.
The present invention is based on the unexpected discovery that gel systems that are based on gels which are produced from undenatured whole milk protein and carrageenan can be used as fat substitutes in food products under a wide range of temperature and pH conditions.